Creeper (comics)
The Creeper rails at his enemies and dresses in an odd yellow costume.created by encentric Artist: Steve Ditko as a possible answer to Marvel and Charleton characters. THE CREEPER Originally introduced in 1968, The Creeper was secretly outspoken Gotham City talk show how Jack Ryder, whose stance against organized crime made him a target. Mortally wounded by the mob, Ryder was saved by a scientist whose serum granted him super powers. As The Creeper, this strange new hero battled the villain known as Proteus, and fought alongside Batman and The Justice League of America. http://comicsalliance.com/creeper-steve-ditko-dc-comics-collection-review/ The Creeper isn’t the greatest Steve Ditko creation, and it’s not even the most Ditko-esque. (Maybe those are the same things.) But one thing the Creeper comics have going for them is that they follow their own unsettling dream logic, and Ditko commits to the mania that powers the title character. This is a costumed vigilante who dresses in yellow body paint, wears a green wig, and sports a freaky red shag carpet over his shoulders, to complement his fur-lined boots. Raging reporter Jack Ryder first dons the outlandish outfit to sneak into a costume party where he suspects criminal activity, and he keeps it because of a knife wound and super-science. It bonds with him thanks to a desperate injection and a conveniently-timed hyperspace implant, and the Creeper is born. That’s the absurd origin of the Creeper, and it’s one that was revised and rewritten in the decades after Steve Ditko stopped working on the character. It doesn’t make any kind of sense. Jack Ryder infiltrates a costume party with the most blatantly noticeable costume in the history of costumes? And the guy he’s there to sort-of rescue happens to have a super-serum inside a ready-to-go syringe that gives Jack Ryder super-healing and super-strength? And not only that, but the genius implants a displacement field inside Ryder’s gaping wound because arms dealers and warlords could use it to make stealth armies? What now? Yet, that’s what we get in the opening story, and we go with it, because in Ditko’s odd universe what matters is the strangeness, not the believability. It’s spectacle, but not of the sort with cosmic crashes and dynamic gestures. Instead, it’s the sordid, unsettling kind, the equivalent of a gang of clowns piling out of a Volkswagen and pulling the mask off the ringleader to reveal that he’s a criminal mastermind who once pretended to be your best friend. That kind of vibe. You may have had nightmares like that after eating too many slices of bacon and goat cheese and anchovy pizza.It was Dan Clowes that convinced me that Steve Ditko’s superhero comics were worth reading. I’m sure Clowes has spoken or written about his appreciation of Ditko, but that’s not what I’m talking about. And it might be difficult to believe that Ditko, the creator of many of my favorite childhood comic book characters like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange and the Question and the Blue Beetle, would be someone I often overlooked as an artist. But I did. I avoided Ditko’s work for years, finding his doll-like poses and long shots and big-toothed, rubbery-faced characters antithetical to what I enjoyed about superhero comics. His comics looked, to me, like a kind of puppet theater. His characters were marionettes bouncing around on a colorful but ultimately uninteresting stage. It probably didn’t help that I grew up on ROM Spaceknight and Speedball Steve Ditko, lesser artistic works by any standard (except the perils of nostalgia), and knew his more famous characters via interpretations by other writers and artists, so his versions of his own creations looked quaint and archaic. But it wasn’t just that. I had learned to love Jack Kirby by then, even though I didn’t grow up with his seminal work. And I liked Gene Colan and Don Heck and other Silver Age artists just fine. But I never quite understood the appeal of Ditko. (click image to enlarge) It wasn’t until the mid-1990s when my brain shifted into the right mode. I had been reading a lot of Dan Clowes by then — his Eightball remains one of my favorite comics of all time — and I thought about a reality in which someone like Clowes would get a chance to (or even want to) draw a sustained run on a superhero comic. That’s when I realized that it had already happened. Many times. Steve Ditko was the weird outsider who drew atypical superhero comics with what could, in retrospect, be called a proto-alt-comics aesthetic. I had been misreading his comics for years. I’m sure Ditko would hate such labels. “Proto-alt-comics aesthetic” probably sounds like a whole bunch of nonsense. But that was my way into his world. That was the perspective that allowed me to appreciate Ditko for what he was, not what he wasn’t. Since then we’ve had a substantial Steve Ditko renaissance, with the more literary-minded comic book critics reminding everyone that Ditko is still out there, drawing comics in his mid-eighties, producing his own idiosyncratic small press work for mail order customers. And major publishers have brought many of his comics back into print, via sometimes glossy and always decently-expensive hardcover editions. Biographer and editor Blake Bell, specifically, has teamed up with Fantagraphics to remind all of us that Steve Ditko matters, thanks to their line of Ditko-focused art books and reprints of long-forgotten masterpieces. That’s all a long lead-in to a simple fact: I read 2010′s DC Comics release The Creeper by Steve Ditko and I liked it. (click image to enlarge) Ditko isn’t the credited scripter on all of the stories collected in this volume, and the tone shifts around a bit depending on who fills in the word balloons, but the underlying stories are of the odd and unusual Ditko variety. When Denny O’Neil (under his own name or under the pseudonym Sergius O’Shaghnessy) writes the dialogue, the Creeper stories become a bit more crime-and-revenge oriented. When Michael Fleisher writes the script for the Creeper’s appearance in First Issue Special #7, a third-rate Batman villain becomes the subject of mockery and the whole story takes on an air of ironic confidence. When Ditko writes the Creeper backups in World’s Finest Comics, the strip becomes a freakshow gallery, like a bounding Dick Tracy lineup. His run ends with “Furious Fran and the Dagger Lady,” and what’s interesting about the Dagger Lady is that she has dozens of daggers strapped to her body, including two attached to her head, and she throws them. Hard. It’s silly and wonderful and Ditko seems interested only in amusing the audience and nothing more. But he does it his way. There’s nothing commercial about any of the comics in this collection. The Creeper is an unattractive, almost accidentally heroic protagonist. He does punch out plenty of criminals, but only because he’s there and punching is what needs to be done. He’s no altruistic knight in yellow body paint. Nor is he a justice-bound avenger. He’s just a reporter who doesn’t do much reporting and gets caught up in weird activities mostly because everyone in the world seems to want to cause trouble in and around the television station. So he presses his magic button and turns into the Creeper, cackling weirdo of…whatever is in front of him. (click images to enlarge) Perhaps Steve Ditko’s Creeper stories show his rejection of traditional superhero tropes, and his celebration of the odd creatures who lurk at the fringes of society. That may be it. But they don’t seem to even have that much on their mind. Instead, the Creeper stories are about off-beat, jaunty enthusiasm for action over inaction. They are about colorful characters doing colorful things, via the mind of Steve Ditko circa 1968. In that proto-alt-comics kind of way. The Creeper by Steve Ditko is on sale now in finer comics shops and bookstores. Filed Under: Steve Ditko, Steve Ditko, the creeper, The Creeper Read More: Mania and Dream Logic: Looking Back at Steve Ditko’s Cackling ‘Creeper’ | http://comicsalliance.com/creeper-steve-ditko-dc-comics-collection-review/?trackback=tsmclip STEVE DITKO For most people, the character of Marvel Comics’ Spiderman was the sole creation of Stan Lee. But the truth is, Spiderman was co-created by Stan Lee and a certain Steve Ditko. Stephen “Steve” Ditko was born on November 2, 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He then moved to New York where he began his illustrating career working in the studio of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as an inker. Ditko also worked on several characters including Doctor Strange and making significant contributions to the Hulk, Iron Man, the Blue Beetle, Question, Hawk and Dove, Shade and the Creeper to name a few. In 1990 and 1994, Ditko was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame and Will Eisner Hall of Fame respectively. In 1968, Steve Ditko defected from Marvel Comics, where he’d co-created Spider-Man, to join the competition at DC. Among the superheroes he created there was the Creeper, who came into being when a dying scientist gave TV reporter Jack Ryder the ability to transform himself into a super-strong, garishly garbed crimefighter. Although the Creeper’s superpowers were limited and his stories rather mundane (he generally fought run-of-the-mill thugs rather than exotic supervillains), his bright yellow skin, green fright wig, and long red rug for a cape were enough to make him memorable. But not a hit. His series ran to only seven issues, all of which are reprinted here, along with a handful of shorter stories published during the succeeding decade. Ditko’s idiosyncratic visuals and personal vision, anomalous in the era’s hidebound mainstream comics, are reminiscent of the similarly eccentric Fourth World saga that fellow Marvel refugee Jack Kirby created soon after for DC. Not popular enough to sustain a serial, the Creeper remains peripheral in the DC Universe. Colorful, though. After stints with both Marvel and Charlton Steve Ditko moved on over to DC in the late '60s. There he was asked to develop some new characters and concepts. One was the Creeper. The Creeper lasted one tryout issue of Showcase and 6 issues in his own book. By the late '60s publishers were quick to pull the plug and did not always have the patience to allow a book to gain a following. Things haven't changed all that much since. But the Creeper was never abandoned completely; he made guest appearances, team-ups with Batman in the Brave and the Bold, and was a back up feature at various times. The Creeper by Steve Ditko Hardcover ---- Steve Ditko's Creeper delivers a delightful package for any Steve Ditko fan. The book itself is in the same format as the Kirby Fourth World Omnibus collections which I think are the best reprint format that has yet to be devised for comic books! Within these pages you get every Creeper story Steve Ditko contributed to. The first series of issues from the late 60s are full 20+ page stories with Ditko and a series of collaborators in various capacities. There is then about a six year gap until Ditko returned to the Creeper as a back up feature in the pages of World's Finest. These stories are short, eight page ventures with mostly pure Ditko content (writer and artist). Also included is the scarce, never before reprinted Creeper story from Canceled Comics Cavalcade! That's worth the cover price by itself. I can honestly say there's no other character quite like The Creeper. Jack Ryder (The Creeper's alter ego) is a confident and cocky protagonist who isn't afraid to speak his mind. As the Creeper he puts on an over-the-top act to intimidate his foes. I recommend you skip the introduction as it spoils Creeper's origin and just dive right in! The present collection is a 288 page hardcover with the newsprint type paper that has been used in many of DCs recent collections, notably the various Jack Kirby omnibuses. Reprinted are the initial Showcase appearance, the six issues of the Creeper book, the appearance in 1st Issue Special, the seven appearances in World's Finest, and a never published (and uncolored) full length story. The book is creator centric not character centric. Only the Creeper stories that Ditko had a hand in are included. For the Creeper this doesn't matter too much. It would have been nice if the Creeper features from Adventure comics could have been included as they set up the Creeper's "second" supporting cast. The stories themselves are quite good but fall into two distinct groups. The first group is the more serious of the two. The tone is distinctly darker than was usual for the late '60s (but tame by current standards). The second group, from the World's Finest backups, are somewhat lighter, with the humor aspect (always present in the Creeper) played up much more. There is also a much stronger supporting cast in the second group than the first. Finally, Ditko's art style seems to have changed between the two groups of stories. The second group has a much more "cartoonish" look to it but perhaps that was deliberate given the lighter tone. The World's Finest stories are remarkable for the amount of plot packed into a mere eight pages. Today, that amount of plot would be spread over eight issues. Except for reservations abount not including non Ditko material I can recommend this collection to all comic book super hero aficionados. I care more for characters than creators and I hope DC changes its policy on these collections to avoid "orphaning" stories. Artist and occasional writer Steve Ditko co-created Spider-man and Dr. Strange at Marvel in the early 1960's. By the late 1960's, fed up with Stan Lee, Ditko left Marvel to work at a variety of comic-book companies that included Marvel's arch-rival DC Comics. Similar to its later handling of fellow Marvel defector Jack Kirby was DC's handling of Ditko -- they shunted him into his own corner doing his own sometimes inspired, sometimes oddball creations rather than being put to work on any of DC's major titles. If you thought a Ditko Batman would be a natural...well, then you don't know DC in the late 1960's and early 1970's. While Marvel caught up to it in sales, DC flailed around, the hit Batman TV series being one of the few bright spots for the company as the turn of the decade approached. As a character, the Creeper is both odd and inspired. For one thing, he's got the most garish costume in superhero history, with yellow dominant and the other two colours being red and green. He looks a lot like a jaundiced Christmas tree. His origin is severely odd, even for a medium in which heroes can get their powers from mongoose blood, hard water, or a soft drink. A multi-tasking scientist manages to create both a super-soldier serum and a dimensional shifter kind of thingie. Shades of Walter Bishop! Former reporter and current TV-station security-guy Jack Ryder, disguised for a Hallowe'en party in leftover clothes and makeup that include a red-dyed fur wrap and a yellow body suit, gets mortally wounded while trying to save the aforementioned scientist from Communist collaborators at that fateful party. Before he dies, the scientist injects Ryder with the only vial of the super-serum and, um, hides the dimensional shifter thingies (sans its control pad, which he leaves with Ryder) inside Ryder's mortal wound. The wound heals almost immediately thanks to the super-serum, which also gives Ryder superior strength and agility. And so is born the Creeper, whose costume will no longer come off when Ryder uses the shifter's control pad to phase into Creeperdom. But he can always phase back to normal just so long as he doesn't lose that remote control. This volume collects all of Ditko's work on The Creeper, whom he created for DC and worked on for short runs in the late 1960's and late 1970's. Ditko was still a strong artist in the late 1960's, and there's a certain bizarre charm to an urban vigilante who's as brightly coloured as a neon sign. The villains, though, are mostly terrible and indifferently designed, continuing a Ditko trend from his last few issues of Spider-man. By the time we get to the 1970's material, Ditko is well into his decline. It's still interesting work from an old master, but the balloony bonelessness that characterizes Ditko's post-1960's, non-creator-owned work is on full display here, though it wouldn't become painful to look at (even when heavily inked by others) until Ditko's brief return to Marvel in the 1980's. I'm not sure this is essential stuff, but it entertains and occasionally exhibits flashes of Ditko's importance to the superhero genre. An introduction that places The Creeper in historical and artistic context would have been nice, rather than a brief bit from 30 Days of Night writer Steve Niles, who wrote a Creeper reboot series a few years ago. Recommended, Medium: Comic books Published by: DC Comics First Appeared: 1968 Creator: Steve Ditko If this site is enjoyable or useful to you, Please contribute to its necessary financial support. Amazon.com or PayPal Like The Blue Beetle, Shade the Changing Man and any number of other Steve Ditko creations, The Creeper is every bit as quirky and original as Ditko's most famous character, Spider-Man. He … hasn't been as successful as Spidey, but — what is? He's certainly hung on for a long time, and over the years he's managed to sell a few comic books for his publisher, DC Comics. The Creeper was Jack Ryder, local newsman and TV personality, whose out The Creeper is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Showcase #73 (March 1968). Publication history '' #73 (April 1968), the Creeper's first appearance. Cover art by Steve Ditko.]] Following his debut in Showcase, the Creeper was given his own series Beware the Creeper, written by Dennis O'Neil; Steve Ditko plotted the first issue. It lasted six issues. Most pitted him against a chameleonic villain called Proteus, whose true identity was revealed just before his violent death in the final issue. The character's reappearance in Super-Team Family #2 in 1975/76 is unexplained, and his briefly described origin does not match the one given initially. Shortly after his last solo issue, the Creeper teamed with Batman in The Brave and the Bold #80 (Nov. 1968), then guested in Justice League of America #70 (March 1969), where it was asked whether the Creeper was an outlaw. He also appeared with Batman in Detective Comics #418 (Dec. 1971). After the origin was reprinted in Detective Comics #443 (Nov. 1974), one of the "DC 100 Page Super Spectacular" series, the Creeper's alter ego Jack Ryder was shown working as a news anchor on Gotham City television in issue #445 (March 1975), and in #447–448 (May–June 1975) became the Creeper again to help Batman escape a frame-up for murder. DC kept the character active with sporadic solo runs and guest shots over the next few years. He turned up almost immediately in issue #3 (Oct. 1975) of the Joker's short-lived, self-titled series, in a story written by O'Neil, where the similarity in green hair and maniacal laugh caused confusion. This was followed with a one-off solo story in 1st Issue Special #7 (Oct. 1975), penciled by creator Steve Ditko. Other appearances in this period included team-ups with Wildcat in Super-Team Family #2 (Jan. 1976), again written by O'Neil; with Batman in The Brave and the Bold #143 (Oct. 1978) and #178 (Sept. 1981); and with many fellow alumni (and a few non-graduates) of Showcase in that comic's 100th issue (May 1978). A story intended for the never-published Showcase #106 in 1978 (written and drawn by Ditko and which would be included in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2) was included in The Creeper by Steve Ditko hardcover collection published by DC in 2010. Among further solos were backup series in Adventure Comics #445–447 (1976), World's Finest Comics #249–55 (1978–1979, written and fully drawn by Ditko), and The Flash #318–323 (1983). Beginning in a team-up with Superman in DC Comics Presents #88 (Dec. 1985), written by Steve Englehart) during the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" company-wide story arc, the Creeper's depiction changed under different writers, which included a revised origin that was referenced but never wholly revealed. His deranged behavior, initially an act to frighten criminals, transformed into genuine, narcotics-induced psychotic behavior. In addition, Ryder could access his enhanced physical abilities only in his costumed form, and could no longer control his transformations. The new version came into focus when the Creeper teamed with the Justice League International in 1987. A decade later, DC gave the Creeper another chance in a solo comic, The Creeper. It lasted 12 issues (Dec. 1997 – Nov. 1998, including the "DC One Million" special numbering.)[http://www.comics.org/series/5733/ Creeper, The (DC 1997 series)] at the Grand Comics Database Writer Len Kaminski focused on the breakdown of Ryder's sanity under the influence of the Creeper and made many references to previous continuity. The Creeper starred in a six-issue miniseries, The Creeper vol. 2 (Oct. 2006 – March 2007), written by Steve Niles and drawn by Justiniano.[http://www.comics.org/series/19429/ Creeper, The (DC 2006 series)] at the Grand Comics Database Fictional character biography Jack Ryder is a former Gotham City television talk show host fired due to his outspoken nature. In Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Outsiders, it is revealed that he once dated Vicki Vale. Finding employment in security, he attempts to rescue a scientist named Dr. Yatz whom mobsters have kidnapped in order to obtain his newest discoveries. The chief mobster hosts a masquerade party at his mansion. To gain entry, Ryder improvises a costume from yellow tights and facial make-up designed to look like skin, a green wig and trunks, and red gloves, boots, and furry cloak. Ryder locates Yatz inside, but the mobsters discover him and stab him, wounding Ryder. Yatz injects Ryder with a serum and implants a device in his wound. The serum confers the power to almost instantly heal any wound and grants Ryder enhanced strength and agility. The device, used with its activator, causes the costume to disappear, leaving Ryder naked. (He can later change into his formal clothes on command.) Yatz inadvertently leaves the activator out of the wound, but does not realize this until after the wound had healed. At this point, the mobsters find their victims again, this time killing Yatz. Ryder discovers that with the activator, he can regain the wild costume whenever he wishes. With it, a crazy laugh and his enhanced physical abilities, he has no trouble routing the crooks. The eventual revision of The Creeper's origin eliminated the serum and claims that the scientist surgically implanted two devices (some accounts claim a single device with two effects) that enhance Ryder's physical abilities and can recreate an object whose "imprint" is stored in its circuitry. The scientist performs this surgery to save Ryder's life after criminals he was investigating attacked and drugged him. Because the scientist is unaware of the drugs in Ryder's system he inadvertently recorded their "imprint" at the same time he recorded the "imprint" of the costume. Thus the device that recreates Ryder's costume when he becomes The Creeper also recreates the drugs in his system, explaining the Creeper's odd personality. These drugs so overwhelm Ryder's system that their effect becomes cumulative and the Creeper gradually becomes more irrational. When the Creeper changes back to Jack Ryder, the drugs disappear and with them, the psychosis. Eventually, Ryder comes to believe that he and the Creeper are two entirely different people instead of two roles played by the same man; he also holds this belief in his Creeper persona, which becomes increasingly disdainful of "Jack Ryder". The Creeper once regained his rationality while bound by Wonder Woman's magic lasso, but the implications of this have never been explored. Fighting Eclipso The Creeper appeared in the Eclipso: The Darkness Within annuals in 1992, tricked into taking up one of Eclipso's dark crystals, putting him under Eclipso's control. He is later freed by Bruce Gordon, a longtime adversary of Eclipso. In the self-titled Eclipso comic book series, the Creeper, Gordon and his wife Mona make an initial foray into the South American territory that Eclipso has conquered. This leads to an Eclipso-possessed peasant throwing the Creeper (and himself) off a cliff. The peasant is mentally abandoned and both are left to plunge to their deaths. The intervention of a stunt squad saves the lives of both men. Several other heroes join in the fight against Eclipso, including Major Victory, the original Steel, Amanda Waller, and Wildcat. They form a team called the Shadow Fighters. In issue #13 of Eclipso, a portion of the Fighters, including the Creeper, make another trip into Eclipso's territory. Several hyenas, possessed by Eclipso, track down the Creeper and tear him to shreds. Most of the infiltration team is slain; only small parts of the Creeper are actually recovered. The remains, along with the other dead heroes, are stolen out from under Eclipso's control by surviving Shadow Fighters. Despite this death, a Creeper series was launched in 1997. There are indications in this comic that the Dr. Yatz origin as detailed in previous appearances is somehow false and that the Creeper's actual origins are in some way related to his longtime villain, Proteus. Before this was fully explored, however, the series ceased publication. Rebooted origin In 2006, a new version of the Creeper appears in the Brave New World one shot, published following the events of Infinite Crisis. In the one shot, Jack Ryder is now the host of a controversial TV show, You Are Wrong!, promising $1,000,000 to the person who catches the Creeper. Following this, a six-issue Creeper mini-series revealed the new origin, seemingly taking place during Batman's early years. Ryder is said to support Dr. Vincent Yatz, who has been combining stem cell therapy and medical nanotechnology to create a revolutionary "nanocell" therapy called "smart-skin", which would enhance the body's regeneration to the point of giving new skin to a burn victims and those who have suffered severe scarring. Ryder visits Yatz's lab just as the scientist is being threatened by mobsters attempting to steal the latest test batch of his newly discovered technology. Unable to escape, Yatz injects the last sample of smart-skin, still somewhat unstable, into Ryder's body in an attempt to keep it safe from the mobsters. When the criminals shoot Ryder in his head, the smart-skin activates, resurrecting Ryder moments later as the Creeper, as yellow-skinned man with superhuman physicality, green hair, and a mane of red hair growing on his back (as opposed to wearing fake red fur, like previous incarnations). The Creeper is a separate personality from Ryder and dispatches the criminals. Ryder discovers he and the Creeper can trade places, after which each acts as a witness to the other's activities and can mentally communicate with their alter ego. Initially wanting nothing to do with the Creeper, Ryder lets him out when the yellow-skinned creature convinces him to seek revenge on their would-be killers. During their pursuit of the criminals, the Creeper and Ryder learn that Yatz has secretly intended the smart-skin to be a weapon. Side effects of its use on human subjects seems to be a loss of mental control, along with the test subjects all getting yellow skin and a mixture of red and green hair. Yatz credits these side effects on the mind and body as resulting from a nerve agent (provided by his silent partner) he had added to the nanocells. This partner is revealed to be the Joker, who had hoped to combine his Joker venom (which causes temporary madness and usually death by laughter) and Yatz's technology to create an army of maniacal, super-strong, near-immortal soldiers. Batman and Ryder defeat the Joker, who later attacks Yatz in revenge. Batman discovers Ryder's double identity and creates a chemical agent that can cure him of the Creeper, but Ryder refuses and forms a truce with his alter ego, agreeing to let the Creeper out from time to time to fight criminals. Countdown In Countdown to Mystery #2, Jack Ryder is approached by Eclipso, who hopes to seduce him, as she did Plastic Man. She succeeds, but the Creeper is later freed from the corruption by Bruce Gordon. In Green Lantern #24 (2007), the Creeper is seen, along with other heroes, fighting members of the Sinestro Corps in the streets of New York. Reign in Hell During the Reign in Hell miniseries, the Creeper was presented as a demon that co-inhabited the body of Jack Ryder rather than an identity he assumed due to scientific experimentation. The story shows the Creeper demon separating from Jack Ryder, having been recalled to Hell by Lilith, the mother of all earthborn atrocities. It is later revealed that the Creeper demon is just one of a similar looking species of demon. The Reign in Hell story had many continuity errors that made its place in DC Comics canon questionable and the idea that the Creeper was a demonic entity was not repeated afterward. Outsiders The Creeper has joined the Outsiders.The Outsiders #15 (April 2009) Later, the Creeper is one of the many heroes recruited to keep the villain Hush from exploiting his resemblance to Bruce Wayne. The Creeper is disguised as a high-level employee of WayneCorp, an excuse for him to accompany "Wayne".Batman Streets of Gotham #4 (November 2009) The New 52 The Creeper's origin was explained in Justice League Dark #23.1, which was retitled Creeper #1 as part of the "Forever Evil" event. In that issue it is revealed that the Creeper originated as an Oni in feudal Japan who "justifies cruel temper tantrums under the guise of spreading chaos." The Creeper first appeared in The New 52 as a cameo appearance in Justice League International vol. 3 #1 (November 2011). He was one of Andre Brigg's candidates for a United Nations–sanctioned Justice League. However, The Creeper was not selected to join the group. Jack Ryder appeared in Phantom Stranger #7, where he had recently quit his job as a talk show host at Morgan Edge's network. After intervention from the Phantom Stranger, Ryder ends up being killed by a monster's attack on Metropolis.Phantom Stranger #7 (June 2013) The Presence, in the form of a dog, notes that the Stranger did not lead a man to his death, but to his destiny and that Ryder's story is not yet over. In Katana #3 (June 2013), after Katana's sword is broken by Killer Croc, the spirit of the Creeper is released from the captivity of her sword. It revealed that Katana's sword was used to kill the Creeper. In the following issue, Creeper is seen bonding to Jack Ryder's dead body. The Creeper notes that he had used Ryder's body previously, calling him "old friend". He later confronts Katana and then retreats.Katana #4 (July 2013) The Creeper and Ryder's connection will be further explained in September 2013's issue of Justice League Dark, which will be retitled Creeper #1 as part of the "Forever Evil" event. Powers and abilities Original The Creeper's powers are physical in nature and a result of Yatz's inventions. He displays virtually superhuman agility and stamina, combined with strength. This enables him to perform amazing feats of acrobatics and leaping. He also seems to be able to climb sheer walls with little or no difficulty. His strength is enough to enable him to throw grown men several feet or jump several feet in the air. His speed and reflexes have also been enhanced greatly. These combined abilities make The Creeper a formidable fighter, incorporating brawling techniques with his physical prowess. A signature move of his is jumping onto the backs of his opponents and throwing them off balance. The Creeper also possesses a superhuman healing factor, which enables him to heal from virtually any wound; gunshots and stab wounds healing within a matter of minutes. It even allowed him to return from death when his body regenerated after being torn apart by Eclipsed hyenas. Also, his laugh is depicted as being physically painful to the ears of his victims, causing a psychotic comatose state. Current According to the Reign in Hell miniseries The Creeper form of Jack Ryder is actually a member of a unique demonic species who all share similar physical characteristics. This idea was dismissed by other writers and in the retcon origin by Steve Niles, the Creeper was the result of Yatz's experiments and had the same powers as his original incarnation, along with a laugh that seemed to disorient opponents. Other versions ''Beware the Creeper'' The Creeper found a new guise in the early 21st century when the Beware the Creeper series (written by Jason Hall and illustrated by Cliff Chiang) was released under the Vertigo brand. Set in 1920s Paris, and featuring a female Creeper, it was somewhat different from its predecessor. However, appearances by characters such as Zatara and The Shade suggests that the miniseries may take place in the DC Universe, and the female Creeper may be regarded as a 1920s predecessor of Jack Ryder. ''The Dark Knight Strikes Again'' The Creeper also makes a cameo appearance in Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again wherein he has already been struck fatally when we see him. He is impaled by "Joker Boy" as part of a revenge scheme against Batman. ''JLA: The Nail'' In JLA: The Nail, where the public has been convinced that metahumans are alien invaders thanks to a smear campaign masterminded by Lex Luthor and a part-Kryptonian Jimmy Olsen, the Creeper is imprisoned by Cadmus Labs, Lois Lane noting that she once saw him save a family from a psychotic gunman.JLA: The Nail #2 ''Kingdom Come'' In Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, The Creeper appears as an elderly metahuman who works for Batman's rogue faction of metahumans.Kingdom Come #2 ''DC One Million'' In the DC One Million crossover the year is 85,271. On the planet IAI, an entity known as RYDR senses a disturbance that may unravel all that is and transforms into its other, the sum total of collective unreason, shamanic avatar and raw distillate of madness known as The Creeper. The trail leads to present day Jack Ryder, who was tired of being a superhero. Jack and The Creeper became separate parts of each other, actual living beings. After The Creeper side kept splitting into bizarre and dangerous alternate Creepers each representing a different part of The Creeper's personality, Jack realized that whether he liked it or not, the Creeper was a part of him. The future Creeper ingested all the alternate Creepers, but realizing the truth of the event, he returned them to the original Creeper and told him and Jack Ryder to remerge, and The Creeper was reborn. The future Creeper returns to IAI with the last remaining alternate Creeper, the one representing self-loathing, which he disposes of before transforming back into RYDR to catalogue the event. ''Astro City'' The Bouncing Beatnik in Kurt Busiek's Astro City series is partly based on The Creeper. Tangent Comics In the Tangent: Superman's Reign series, the Earth-9 version of The Creeper is shown to be a demonic creature who feeds on captured souls. Amalgam Comics Nightcreeper (Kurt "Jack" Ryder) of Amalgam Comics combines DC's Creeper with Marvel Comics' Nightcrawler. ''Flashpoint'' In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Jack Ryder is in news broadcasting. He sends a message that Wonder Woman leads the Amazons in conquering the United Kingdom, renaming it New Themyscira during the war.Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 (July 2011) In other media Television * The character appeared several times in The New Batman Adventures voiced by Jeff Bennett. Jack Ryder had few brief appearances as a news reporter. In his starring role in the episode "Beware The Creeper", he anchored a live TV special on the Joker's career from Ace Chemicals where the Joker had his life-changing encounter with a vat of chemicals but is interrupted by the Clown Prince of Crime himself who does not appreciate the attention. The Joker doses Ryder with his trademark lethal laughing gas and then pushes the reporter into the same vat of chemicals to distract Batman and Robin. The gas and the chemicals react strangely as he is transformed into an extraordinarily strong and agile maniac with lemon-yellow skin, green hair and a rictus grin dubbed the 'Creeper' as he helps the Dynamic Duo apprehend the Joker for revenge for what Joker did. Although his mania is benign, his methods are so extremely wild and frantic that even the Joker screams about the Creeper: "He's a lunatic!". Unlike his comics counterpart, this version cannot change back to normal, either at will or uncontrollably, and also demonstrates an enhanced sense of smell. At the end of the episode, Ryder is returned to his normal self by a treatment devised by Batman that counteracts the chemicals in the form of a skin patch; it is suggested that the treatment is only temporary, and that if Ryder takes the patch off, he will soon become Creeper again. In the final seconds, he stares at the patch, saying "A little piece of cotton — hard to believe." The view then changes to outside his apartment with a silhouette of him at the window. There is the sound of paper being torn, followed by the sound of Ryder laughing in the manner of the Creeper — the obvious implication being that Ryder was at least willing to return to the form of the Creeper at some point. * Creeper appears in Justice League Unlimited as one of the sixty members of the extended Justice League. In the episode "Panic in the Sky", he is shown battling the Ultimen clones (savagely headbutting a Juice clone and throwing a Wind Dragon clone into a Shifter clone). The Creeper made yet another cameo in the finale "Destroyer" fighting alongside other Ditko creations against Darkseid's Parademons. In the series' curtain call, he is shown with fellow Ditko creations Hawk and Dove, the Question, and Captain Atom.* The character appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold voiced by Brian Bloom. In "Shadow of the Bat", Booster Gold stating that he had to cancel an appearance on Jack Ryder's talk show due to an emergency meeting of the Justice League International. In "Time Out for Vengeance", the Creeper appears where he helps Batman fight Hellgrammite. After Creeper helps Batman defeat Hellgrammite, Creeper flees when the police come into view. Film * Jack Ryder originally was going to appear in Man of Steel but DC would not let them, so they created Glen Woodburn (portrayed by Chad Krowchuk) as a stand in.Empire's Man Of Steel Spoiler Podcast SpecialMicro-News: DIVERGENT Stills, New AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Co-Producer, Jack Ryder And More Video games * Jack Ryder can be heard in the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum voiced by James Horan.[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1282022/fullcredits#cast Full Cast & Crew of Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009 Video Game)] at the Internet Movie Database He can be heard reporting about the Arkham breakout with a banner beneath the headline reads "The Jack Ryder Show". In the same game, he is also an unlockable bio when the player scans a radio broadcasting Ryder's show. Ryder's bio also makes mention of the fact that he is the Creeper. * Jack Ryder plays a bigger role in the sequel Batman: Arkham City voiced again by James Horan. After the game begins, one of the early missions features Bruce Wayne rescuing Ryder from some thugs in Arkham City, Ryder revealing that he wound up in Arkham City after he began to investigate Hugo Strange's actions and motivations in creating Arkham City. He reveals information about Strange to Batman after he is saved. He is also on Deadshot's hit list, and Batman must save him before he is killed. Additionally, an interview between Vicki Vale and Mayor Sharp can be heard that reveals vigilantes operating in Gotham, including the Creeper and Huntress. * Jack Ryder appears in DC Universe Online voiced by Leif Anders. His voice is in TV/Radio segments called "You Are Wrong" found throughout Gotham and Metropolis. When found, Ryder proceeds to tell the truth about certain characters and plots (such as outing Lex Luthor as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains) presumably using his alter-ego Creeper to gather this information. Toys * Hasbro released an action figure of The New Batman Adventures version of the character in the late 1990s. * Mattel released an action figure of the comic book version in its DC Universe Classics line in January 2011. * Mattel released an action figure of the Justice League Unlimited version in its DC Universe: Justice League Unlimited Fan Collection line in November 2011. Miscellaneous * Creeper has appeared in a Justice League Unlimited comic book, in which Batman enlists his aid to unravel a plan to detonate a nuclear device in Gotham. * possible inspitation sourse * More at IMDbPro »Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season 1, Episode 38The Creeper (17 Jun. 1956)TV Episode | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery8.0 Your rating: -/10 Ratings: 8.0/10 from 271 users Reviews: 7 userA frightened housewife is alone in her apartment building when she begins to suspect just about anyone could be the unknown killer who has been strangling women. Director: Herschel DaughertyWriters: James P. Cavanagh (teleplay) (as James Cavanagh) , Joseph Ruscoll (story)Stars: Alfred Hitchcock, Constance Ford, Steve Brodie | See full cast and crew » * Cast Episode complete credited cast:Alfred Hitchcock Alfred Hitchcock ... Himself - HostConstance Ford Constance Ford ... Ellen GrantSteve Brodie Steve Brodie ... Steve GrantHarry Townes Harry Townes ... EdReta Shaw Reta Shaw ... Martha StonePercy Helton Percy Helton ... George the JanitorAlfred Linder Alfred Linder ... ShoemakerSee full cast » EditStorylineA killer is on the loose in a low rent neighborhood of Manhattan during a heat wave. His victims are blonde women and no one knows what he looks like. He could be anyone. The story focuses on a squabbling couple, a laborer husband, and shows the stress that his blonde wife is under when he leaves for work one day.Ellen and Steve live in a New York neighborhood that is being terrorized by a strangler known only as the Creeper. When Steve leaves on a business trip, Ellen becomes increasingly paranoid - especially after her neighbour is murdered and her house keys disappear. A murderer has killed two blonde women while they're alone at night. Ellen (Ford) is terrified but her husband Steve (Brodie) is dismissive of her. While Brodie is at work, Ellen is scared and suspicious of various people she meets.Ed played by Harry She's only relieved when the locksmith arrives to fix a lock and chain on her door, but the locksmith turns out to be the murderer.An older woman in the building is of little help. She offers to stay with the younger woman but her basic obnoxiousness if off putting. The young wife passes. Then a friend of her husband turns up and starts giving the housewife a hard time (they'd apparently dated prior to the woman's marriage to her current husband). The friend Ed, a journalist with some inside knowledge about the case, is too weird and aggressive to be good company, and besides, his presence is unsettling. Off he goes. What transpires afterward, while I wouldn't go so far as to say it was telegraphed early on, certainly comes as no surprise. This kind of suspense tale is as a type as old as the hills. One doesn't watch such things to learn about human nature or expand one's horizons intellectually and emotionally. The central conceit is far from brilliant. It's appeal, it's considerable charm, is watching how it's done,--well or badly, stylishly or ponderously. I'd say that The Creeper is far more stylish than ponderous. It's helped by its director, the capable Herschel Daugherty, and by its small cast. The Creeper isn't one of the sharpest or best written Hithcock half-hours but it's competent and satisfying for those who liked a good chill but who don't want to want to catch pneumonia. The Creeper suggests a possible hidden connection to the Steve Ditko creation,as does the report profession of Jack Ryder.Not a hard connection,but there it is.Ditko had to get the initial possible inspitation from somewhere,and this likely a possible sourse. Plot Summary | Add SynopsisPlot Keywords: intimidation | startled | shoe repair shop | hot weather | skeleton key | See All (18) »Genres: Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller A reverse version of The Joker maybe another initial possible inspitation.Flipfloppig the mad man working to fight criminals and not being a criminal migh another sourse.Steve Ditko creations are hard to trace References External links * DCU Guide: The Creeper Chronology* The Creeper at Don Markstein's Toonopedia* The Creeper Index* Ring, Robert. [http://scifiblock.com/comics/the-creeper.htm The Creeper by Steve Ditko] (review of trade paperback collection), The Sci-Fi Block, April 1, 2010 History An investigative reporter, Ryder reached too far when he tried to take down a mob boss called Manny. Said Manny had him injected with hallucinogenic drugs, dressed in a bizarre costume and shot. Through a combination of events not entirely understood, Ryder survived, but with a frightening split personality: the self-righteous reporter Ryder and the insane, unpredictable Creeper. Ryder initially didn't remember his times as the Creeper, but this information was revealed to him gradually over the years. The Creeper took part in a mission against Eclipso in which he, along with almost all the others on the mission, was slain. However, an ability to regenerate his body allowed him to survive to terrorise criminals once more. As Jack Ryder, he is now based in Metropolis and continues to work as a journalist, currently in the job once held by Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. CREEPER II Ryder Created by Steve DitkoCreeper Character Chronology Index Below is the definitive list of appearances of Creeper in chronological order. Flashback sequences or story entries will be followed by a Flashback note. Stories that for some reason are no longer part of current continuity will have a comment saying this in a note following the entry.Follow the links for a complete index of the issue, including story and creator info as well as full character chronology and in some cases story synopses. To go to the Creeper biography click here Creeper Chronology Showcase #73 (March-April 1968): "The Coming of the Creeper" Beware the Creeper #1 (May-June 1968): "Where Lurks the Menace?" Beware the Creeper #2 (July-August 1968): "The Many Faces of Proteus" Beware the Creeper #3 (September-October 1968): "The Isle of Fear" Brave and the Bold #80 (October-November 1968): "And Hellgrammite Is His Name" Beware the Creeper #4 (November-December 1968): "Which Face Hides My Enemy?" Beware the Creeper #5 (January-February 1969): "The Color of Rain Is Death" Beware the Creeper #6 (March-April 1969): "A Time To Die" Justice League of America #70 (March 1969): "Versus the Creeper!" Detective Comics #418 (December 1971): "And Be a Villain" Detective Comics #445 (February-March 1975): "Break-In at the Big House" Jack Ryder Detective Comics #447 (May 1975): "Enter: The Creeper" Detective Comics #448 (June 1975): "Bedlam Beneath the Big Top" Joker #3 (September-October 1975): "The Last Ha Ha" First Issue Special #7 (October 1975): "Menace of the Human Firefly" Super-Team Family #2 (December 1975-January 1976): "Showdown in San Lorenzo" Adventure Comics #445/2 (May-June 1976): "Deadly Medicine" Adventure Comics #446/2 (July-August 1976): "Mind Over Murder" Adventure Comics #447/2 (September-October 1976): "Death Walk" Teen Titans Vol. 1 #46 (February 1977): "The Fiddler's Concert of Crime" Jack Ryder Secret Society of Super-Villains #9 (September 1977): "Turnabout Is Unfair Play" Secret Society of Super-Villains #10 (October 1977): "Triumph and Treachery" World's Finest Comics #249/3 (February-March 1978): "Moon Lady and the Monster" World's Finest Comics #250 (April-May 1978): "The Reality War" World's Finest Comics #250/2 (April-May 1978): "Return of the Past" Showcase #100 (May 1978): "There Shall Come a Gathering" World's Finest Comics #251/3 (June-July 1978): "The Disruptor" World's Finest Comics #252/3 (August-September 1978): "The Keeper of Secrets Is Death" Brave and the Bold #143 (September-October 1978): "Cast the First Stone" World's Finest Comics #253/3 (October-November 1978): "The Wrecker" World's Finest Comics #254/3 (December 1978-January 1979): "Beware Mr. Wrinkles" World's Finest Comics #255/3 (February-March 1979): "Furious Fran and the Dagger Lady" Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2/9 (fall 1978): "Enter Doctor Storme" Brave and the Bold #178 (September 1981): "Paperchase" Flash Vol. 1 #318/2 (February 1983): "New Hopes, New Fears" Flash Vol. 1 #319/2 (March 1983): "Turnabout Is Deadly Play" Flash Vol. 1 #320/2 (April 1983): "I Gave Him Everything He Ever Wanted" Flash Vol. 1 #321/2 (May 1983): "Playgrounds" Flash Vol. 1 #322/2 (June 1983): "Ye Who Enter Here" Flash Vol. 1 #323/2 (July 1983): "All-Demons Adieu" Action Comics #563 (January 1985): "Black Beauty" Jack Ryder Red Tornado #3 (September 1985): "The Eye of the Storm" Blue Devil Annual #1 (1985): "The Day All Hell Broke Loose" Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (August 1985): "Worlds in Limbo" DC Comics Presents #88 (December 1985): "Prophecy of the Demon-Plague" Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 (December 1985): "War Zone" Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 (January 1986): "Death at the Dawn of Time!" Justice League #2 (June 1987): "Make War No More!" Jack Ryder Justice League #5 (September 1987): "Gray Life Gray Dreams" Justice League #6 (October 1987): "Massacre In Gray" Justice League International Vol. 1 #7 (November 1987): " Justice League... International!" Justice League International Vol. 1 #8 (December 1987): "Moving Day" Jack Ryder Millennium #8 (February 1988): "The Rising and Advancing of Ten Spirits" Invasion! #2 (1988): "Invasion! Book Two: Battleground Earth" Invasion! #3 (1988): "Invasion! Book Three: World Without Heroes" Batman Annual #13 (1989): "Faces" Jack Ryder Action Comics #668 (August 1991): 26 "The Ghost of Luthor" Jack Ryder Eclipso: The Darkness Within #1 (July 1992): "All Men Make Faults" Eclipso: The Darkness Within #2 (October 1992): "Brilliant Men" Eclipso #3 (January 1993): "War Party" Eclipso #4 (February 1993): "Under Attack" Eclipso #5 (March 1993): "Torture Chamber" Eclipso #6 (April 1993): "See How They Run!" Showcase '93 #12/3 (December 1993): "A Cold Night in Hell" Eclipso #11 (September 1993): "A Call to Arms" Eclipso #12 (October 1993): "Scramble" Eclipso #13 (November 1993): "Hour of Darkness" Creeper #1 (December 1997): "Screaming To Get Out" Creeper #2 (January 1998): "Shadow In The Mirror" Creeper #3 (February 1998): "Straitjacket" Creeper #4 (March 1998): "Past Tension" Creeper #5 (April 1998): "Walking Wounded" Creeper #6 (May 1998): "Faust Food" Creeper #7 (June 1998): "Madhouse" Creeper #8 (July 1998): "He Who Laughs Last" Creeper #9 (August 1998): "Mental Block" Creeper #10 (September 1998): "Split Decision" Creeper #11 (October 1998): "Mass Hysteria" Creeper #1,000,000 (November 1998): " Insanitation" JLA #27 (March 1999): "The Bigger They Come..." Superboy Vol. 3 #65 (August 1999): "Hyper-Tension!, Epilogue: Out of Hyper-Time!" JLA #38 (February 2000): "World War Three, Part 3" Sins of Youth: Kid Flash/Impulse #1 (May 2000): "Media Blitz" Jack Ryder Justice Leagues: Justice League of Amazons #1 (March 2001): " Justice Leagues, Part II: Jungle Work" Action Comics #775 (March 2001): 13 "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & The American Way?" Jack Ryder Superman: Metropolis #1 (April 2003): "Welcome to the City of Tomorrow" Jack Ryder Superman: Metropolis #2 (May 2003): "Love Springs Eternal" Jack Ryder Superman: Metropolis #3 (June 2003): "Purpose" Superman Vol. 2 #192 (June 2003): "Patronymic" Jack Ryder Superman: Metropolis #5 (August 2003): "Small Favors" Jack Ryder Action Comics #809 (January 2004): "Creeping Death" Jack Ryder Action Comics #815 (July 2004): "Superman vs Gog: End Times" Jack Ryder Action Comics #817 (September 2004): "Weapons of Revelation" Jack Ryder Action Comics #820 (December 2004): "Wail of the Banshee" Action Comics #822 (February 2005): "Repo-Man Part One" Jack Ryder Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1 (June 2006): "A Hero Dies But One" 52 #26 (January 2007): "Halfway House" Jack Ryder Batman #651 (May 2006): "Face the Face, Part 2" Jack Ryder Detective Comics #820 (August 2006): "Face the Face, Part 7" Jack Ryder Detective Comics #820/2 (August 2006): "The Crime File of Jason Bard" Jack Ryder 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #1 (October 2007): "Resurrection" Jack Ryder Green Lantern Vol. 4 #25 (January 2008): "Sinestro Corps: Birth of the Black Lantern" Reign in Hell #1 (September 2008): "Sundered Dominion" CHRONOLOGY UNCERTAIN It is currently uncertain where these stories fit into the character's internal chronology. Armageddon: Inferno #1 (April 1992): "Seeds of Doom" Armageddon: Inferno #4 (July 1992): "The Gathering of Heroes" Justice League International Vol. 1 #24/2 (February 1989): "Across a Crowded Room..." Category:DC Comics titles Category:Fictional reporters Category:DC Comics characters with accelerated healing Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman strength Category:DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Category:DC Comics superheroes Category:DC Comics supervillains Category:Comics characters introduced in 1968 Category:Comics by Steve Ditko Category:Characters created by Steve Ditko